The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-02-08

I ANOTHER OhInaman has fallen I'M
.der the bSn of the ubiquitous opium
slaw, which has been established 70
protect the sellers Of this baleful drug.
Ii must be distinctly understood by
this community and also by all people
|abruad. who take an interest IN Ha-
wsiian affairs, that this man and the
other unfortunate, punished 4 fort
might ago, have not been fined and
Imprisoned because they used opium,
but because they used it without buy
|ing from the licensed dealer. Any
chinese, and shy white man, for the
matter Of that, may use as much OPT
UNI as he pleases, provided he pays q
dollar to q physician and another dol
lar TO the Marshal. for the privilege
Iof doing so. The law was not framed
30 put q restraint upon the use of
opiam, 1t was framed to protect the
pockets of ring of opium sellers, a
portion Of whose in-gotten gains goes
into the government treasury, and an
other portion of which goes towards
making up q sum for the purpose, it
Is said, of bribing those who have au-
thority to issue the license
The opium law is one Of the worst
blots upon Hawaii. and the longer it
IS in force the more foul it appears,
Every one who has to do with it gets
smirched- 1t poisens justice and it
ruins regulations. The men who have
paid $4,000 for the license, and as
much more, probably, TO get it, are not
going to let the grass grow under
their feet Thirty thousand dollars
alone. Is 3 good round sum. Such
lShrevd investors IS tho Chinese have
never laid out so much, and the rest.
without seeing their way TO hand
some profit. Even to cover themselves
3 very large amount of opium must be
sold. The Marshal, by the illegal
regulations OF the Minister of Interior
is made an interested party in push
ing the sale OF opium and in protect
ing the interests Of the opium ring
|Of the dollar paid for his license. fifty
cents goes TO the Government and fifty
cents remains IN his own pocket. No.
wonder the police are active in detect
ing any one smoking opium without
the said license
The legality Of the penal clause in
the bill viii shortly be tested. Mr.
Dare, who defended the Chinaman
the other day, has taken the ground
that that portion Of the law is uncon-
stitutionsl, basing his argument on
Article n Of the Constitution, which
says:
Article q. To avoid improper iufuenee
|Ehich nay rss7ls from intermi1ing In ona
md tie same Act, such things as have no
proper relation 20 each other, every Law shall
embrace bat one Obisct, and that shall be 81
pressed II rs title
Should Mr.. Dare's motion be upheld
3y the Supreme Court. the Police Jus
ice having decided against him, the
opium law would come under Article
T6 of the Constitution which reads as
follows:
Article 7s. All laws nov in force in this
Kingdom. shall continue and remain IN full
ESscts until altered OF repealed by ths Lsgis
lsE1rs; s1ch parts only eTcepssd as are rep1g
rant 10 this Constitution. All laws hereto
fore enacted, ehieh are contrary f5 this Co,t7
stiisftio5s, slsGl b aAH ard Eoid.
The italics are, OF course. ours. The
public VIII look forward with great
interest to the argument OF this point
before the Supreme Court. What the
decision viii be no man can say, but
is viii be most important one for
Hawaii and Is now waited for with
Eager Impotence by many.